Sun Life Financial's Customer Complaint Process

Complaints do arise from time to time – you may feel you've been dealt with unfairly, or perhaps there's been a misunderstanding. Whatever the nature of your concern, we'll treat it professionally, confidentially and courteously – just as you expect and deserve as a valued customer.

Working with you on these matters also gives us an important opportunity to improve the customer service experience for everyone who does business with us.

Here's how our customer complaint process works

If you have a complaint or concern about a product or service from one of the Sun Life Financial group of companies in Canada, you can address the situation by following these steps:

General questions or comments

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Step 1, ask the appropriate area listed above to whom you can escalate your complaint. Each business area at Sun Life Financial has a defined complaint-handling process. Depending on your product or service, you will be referred to a team leader, supervisor, manager or consultant who will review your complaint with fresh eyes. It is important that you complete this step before contacting the Sun Life Ombudsman's office.

The Ombudsman's Office does not review complaints that have not been through Steps 1 and 2, so you'll want to indicate whom you've already contacted, and why you disagree with their decision.

After the Ombudsman's Office review, we’ll send you a written response, except in some cases where we can clear up a simple problem quickly and to your satisfaction over the phone. We complete most investigations within 30 days of receiving your complaint and all supporting information. If we can’t meet this deadline, we will contact you to let you know why we need the extra time and when you can expect a response.

The written response from the Ombudsman's Office is considered Sun Life Financial's final position on a complaint. Unless you present any new and relevant information that was not previously reviewed, we won’t reopen your complaint.

Industry Ombudservices

If you are dissatisfied with the Ombudsman's Office's final position and wish to pursue your complaint further, industry bodies are available to you free of charge, depending on the product or service involved and your province of residence. These third parties will usually decline to review your complaint until after the Ombudsman's Office has reviewed it. If your unresolved complaint is eligible for further review externally, the Ombudsman's Office will give you detailed contact information for the appropriate third party(ies) in its final position letter.

For complaints about:

Life and health insurance - individual and group

An advisor's conduct (except for mutual funds)

Trust company products and services

Annuities

Group Retirement Services and pension products

External recourse option

The OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI) is part of the Financial Services OmbudsNetwork (FSON), a national industry-based dispute resolution system for consumers of financial services. The OLHI deals with concerns about life and health insurance products and services that have not been resolved through the company's dispute resolution system. Information about the OLHI is available on its website at olhi.ca.

For complaints about:

The Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) is part of the Financial Services OmbudsNetwork (FSON), a national industry-based dispute resolution system for consumers of financial services. The OBSI deals with concerns about banking services and investments that have not been resolved through the company's dispute resolution system, and may recommend compensation if it determines that a customer has been treated unfairly. Information about the OBSI can be found on its website at www.obsi.ca.

Regulators

A number of regulatory bodies have jurisdiction over our products and services. Depending on the product or service involved, you may at any time contact the regulator regarding your complaint. Most regulators will ensure the Ombudsman’s Office is engaged in a review of your complaint and will ensure that a final position is issued.

For complaints about:

The consumer provisions that apply to life and trust companies and require them to:

how to contact the FCAC when they have a complaint about the company's compliance with a consumer provision.

External recourse option

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure they comply with federal consumer protection laws (or "consumer provisions"). The FCAC focuses on compliance and enforcement, and does not provide compensation or get involved in individual disputes. For more information about the FCAC, including a complete listing of consumer provisions that apply to Sun Life Financial's insurance and trust companies, please visit the FCAC's website at www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca.

For complaints about:

The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (MFDA) is the national self-regulatory organization for the distribution side of the Canadian mutual fund industry (excluding Quebec). The MFDA's primary focus is on compliance and enforcement rather than customer compensation. You can find out more about the MFDA from its website at www.mfda.ca.

MFDA's mailing address is:

121 King Street West, Suite 1000 Toronto, ON M5H 3T9

For complaints about:

For Quebec residents only: All financial products and services, including mutual fund dealers or representatives

External recourse option

The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) is the body mandated by the government of Quebec to regulate the province's financial markets and provide assistance to consumers of financial products and services. At any time after Step 2 of our Customer Complaint Process (but preferably after Step 3), you can ask Sun Life Financial to send a copy of your complaint file to the AMF by completing a Request for the Transfer of a File form. This form, and other information about the AMF, is available on its website at www.lautorite.qc.ca.